Where the facts have no argument

Main menu

Sub menu

Bloody Chicago, 1 Dead, 14 Wounded in Shootings on Saturday

May 7, 2017

A 26 year old man shot to death between two cars on a Brighton Park street became the latest person killed by a rifle in Chicago, just five days after two police officers in the same district were wounded by the high-powered weapons.

At least 22 casings littered the road in the 2700 block of West 64th Place near the man’s body as a pool of blood expanded on the curb where his head was resting. He was pronounced dead on arrival, shot in the chest. A nearby Chevy truck had its windows shot out.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was the single death among 15 people shot Saturday and Sunday morning, according to police. Six of the victims were injured in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in separate shootings. A 14-year-old boy and two 17-year-olds were also among those hurt.

Sal Valerio, 29, watched police and detectives canvass the scene in Brighton Park with his stepson. Valerio said he was asleep when his girlfriend woke him up after hearing about 20 rapid-fire shots about 4:30 a.m.

“Get down!” they told their kids.

“It’s a sad thing,” said Valerio, who works for a catering company and moved to the block a few months ago. “There’s a lot of kids on this block.”

A woman who was with the victim started crying hysterically and banging on the door of a nearby home for help after the shooting, witnesses said.

The shooting comes five days after two Deering tactical officers were struck by rifle gunfire on Tuesday in neighboring Back of the Yards, southeast of Brighton Park. It’s unclear whether the covert officers, who were in an unmarked van, were targeted or mistaken as rival gang members, police have said.

On Saturday, three people were shot in a Back of the Yards restaurant in the afternoon, and three people were shot while leaving a party eight blocks away just before midnight.

In the earlier shooting, a 31-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were shot after a gunman chased a 44-year-old man, the intended target, into Joe’s Grill in the 1200 block of West 51st Street about 12:25 p.m. All the victims were taken to Stroger, where the woman was in critical condition and the men had their conditions stabilized.

Later, three men were shot while leaving a party about 11:55 p.m. in the 900 block of West 54th Place. Two men, ages 22 and 24, were shot multiple times. A third man, 24, was shot in the right shoulder. All were taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

In other shootings:

A 19-year-old and a 22-year-old were shot during an armed robbery of a taco restaurant in the Montclare neighborhood on the Northwest Side about 2:50 a.m. Sunday. A gunman came into Rico’s wearing a ski mask and shot the victims as they tried to intervene, police said. The gunman ran off after taking money from the register. The 19-year-old was shot in the right shoulder and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition. The 22-year-old man was shot in the back and taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the left leg about 2:00 a.m. Sunday in the 2700 block of West Lexington Street in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. Police found the boy lying in the yard of a home after responding to a call of shots fired. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the head in the Vittum Park neighborhood about 11:55 p.m. in the 4800 block of South La Crosse Avenue. He was standing on the sidewalk with a 19-year-old man, who was shot in the foot, when someone in an SUV opened fire on them. The 17-year-old was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition, and the 19-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.

A 20-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the left shoulder when he was walking northbound in the 1500 block of North Sedgwick Avenue in the Old Town neighborhood about 12:15 a.m. The man told police that a passenger in a van with multiple occupants started shooting in his direction. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.

An 18-year-old was shot in the left arm while walking in the 2700 block of South Komensky Avenue in Little Village about 10 p.m. Saturday. The teenager got himself to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back in the Washington Park neighborhood about 2:25 p.m. Saturday. The boy heard gunfire in the 6100 block of South Indiana Avenue and started to run from the area, then realized he was shot.

He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was in fair condition.